A Russian Ambassador to Turkey Shot Dead

A Russian ambassador to Turkey and attacked and shot dead by angry gunmen in front of a crowd in the capital city Ankara at a posh art gallery. NTV Turkish station later reported that police killed the assailant on Monday night. Andrey Karlov who was 62 years of age was a few minutes to giving a speech at photo exhibition, which was entirely sponsored by the embassy when a man who stood behind him in a black suit shot him in back close range a multiple of times.

Maria Zakharova Russsia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman announced death of Karlov in a live televised statement. Burnhan Ozbilici was the one who captured the final moments of Andrey Karlov. The assailant was at the age of 22 years and he was an off duty police officer. He worked with the Turkey’s capital according to the information given by Ankara’s Mayor Melih Gokcek.

After the assailant managed to shot Karlov the first shot, he approached him on the ground and shot him at least once at close range, an AP photographer at the scene said. He smashed a few photos that were on the exhibition, but later allowed the stunned guests who were within out the venue, according the local media.

Several local media outlets have reported that there was a gun fight that ensued after Karlov was shot. A local television reported that three people were injured during the incident and was taken to the nearby hospital. Mayor Gokcek said that the attack was meant to disrupt the refurbished relationship between the two nations shortly after the incident outside the exhibition centre.

Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly after the Monday attack on phone. President Erdogan merely extended his condolences to the Russian people and their president Vladimir Putin on behalf of his country. Putin as well promised a response in regard to assassination.

Putin said in Moscow the same day that the assassination undoubtedly a provocation that is only meant to derail the newly formed ties between Turkey and Russian as well as Syria’s peace. He added that the strengthening to fight bandits and terror was only response the crime required. The two countries have collaborated in rebels and civilians evacuation from Allepo and held discussions in organizing new rounds of peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital.

The assailants during the crime referenced that, don’t forget Allepo, after he shot the diplomat ambassador in back. The main said whoever took part must pay a price and only death would take him out from that place. He said he was a descendant of the supporters of Prophet Muhammad from Jihad in Arabic.

“There were police officers and over 100 armed soldiers at the scene and also armored vehicles”, a photographer in Ankara, Diegi Cupolo told Aljazeera. The attack happened a day before the Iranian, Turkish and Russian defence and foreign ministers meet in Moscow to discuss Syria. The talks were to go on as scheduled despite the assassination the Interfax news agency reported according to what Leonid Slutsky, a senior parliamentarian told them.

Karlov was a diplomatic career ambassador and joined the service in 1976. He was posted to Pyonyyang from 2001 to 2006 and later served as a chief head of foreign ministry consular department. He had been in Turkey as an ambassador for Russian government since 2013.